Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Infermur, the City Where the Dragon Sleeps (1) [Remake Pre-Final Chapter]
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Fernandez felt oddly at ease in the damp, foul-smelling underground sewer.
The first half of his life had been spent as an exile, a fugitive, a slave, and a beggar—and such places had always been his home and battlefield.
The slums and sewers. Places where demons, heretics, witches, vampires, madmen afflicted with lycanthropy, and the like hid away. For a bastard noble like him to survive in such spots, he needed more than just luck.
-Splash!
“Grraaahh…”
A half-rotted ghoul burst from the stagnant sewage at Fernandez’s feet. He had anticipated it the moment the wastewater splashed up. Grabbing the ghoul’s skull, he smashed it against the wall, bursting it open.
-Splat!
“Found us, have you?”
-Probably not yet… Above!
“I see it!”
“Grraaah!!!”
Three ghouls clinging to the ceiling dropped toward Fernandez all at once. He rolled forward swiftly, drew his longsword, and slashed twice.
-Slash!
The three ghouls fell in five pieces. Even with their limbs shattered, the ghouls twitched and crawled toward Fernandez.
-Thud!
Fernandez crushed their wriggling heads underfoot as he pressed deeper into the sewer. He had figured as much. If they were hiding, the sewers made sense.
No light reached here. No one came. Beggars who crawled this far vanished without raising suspicion. Noble elves stayed far from such stench, and corrupt human soldiers never bothered searching this deep.
“Who… are you…?”
Thus, to the vampires, Fernandez—suddenly appearing and pulverizing their ghouls—was no different from a natural disaster.
A gaunt man in a torn and ragged suit appeared from the opposite side of the sewer, glaring at Fernandez with red eyes.
“Franzrit?”
“?! Who the hell are you? You’re no elf, that’s for sure.”
-Shing.
As Fernandez drew his longsword and advanced, the man panicked and retreated, shouting.
“W-Wait! Just a moment! Let’s talk this out. I’ve seen enough of how you fight. You don’t really want to tangle with vampires down here, do you?”
“...?”
Fernandez paused, and the man let out a scoffing laugh.
“Good, you’re reasonable—not one of those elf bastards. Why are you here? No human has business this far in.”
“Came for vampires. Glad I found you.”
The man eyed Fernandez warily but held his ground. Fernandez slowly measured the distance between them, adjusting his grip on his sword.
Twelve paces.
“Why seek us out? We’ve had no dealings with humans.”
“The general sent me.”
“... ? It’s not time for the operation yet. Risking something this dangerous? What if you’re caught, coming here yourself?!”
“You’re not asking who sent me?”
“Obvious! Only Aildern, that hothead, would send someone charging in like this!”
Eleven paces.
“Wait, hold on. General Aildern sent a human as an envoy…?”
“Think an elf would come here?”
“Ah… right. Fair enough…”
Ten paces.
Fernandez’s shoulders tensed rigidly. Beneath his tunic, the tendons in his forearms writhed like snakes.
Sensing the feral menace, the man flinched. How could a human seem more predatory than him?
“No, so… what’s the message? The operation’s days away. We wait for the main fleet from home, right?”
“Asked me to deliver this.”
Nine paces.
“What is it?”
The man was now fully in Fernandez’s view.
Even in the pitch-black sewer with scant light, at eight paces, no one escaped a Demonica inquisitor’s sight.
And at eight paces, it was just barely—close enough that even a vampire’s reflexes couldn’t evade a Demonica strike.
-Thwish!
“Wha—?!?”
-Thwack!
Fernandez’s arm whipped forward, launching the longsword like an arrow. Before the man could react, it plunged into his heart.
The blade sank deep enough to bury the crossguard, protruding from his back and quivering.
“Guh… hng…”
-Step, step.
Fernandez approached slowly. The man merely clutched at the sword in his chest, staggering. He looked up at Fernandez with eyes full of disbelief.
“Black… hng… haah…”
The shock was too great—lungs and heart torn, only the sound of escaping air wheezed from the vampire’s mouth.
Blood streamed from his eyes. Fernandez seized the hilt and kicked the man’s gut.
-Squelch.
The blade ripped free, and the vampire shuddered at the sensation. For a vampire with vital organs shredded by a sanctified saint-metal longsword, survival was impossible.
‘At least I’ve identified one traitor.’
-The Gaimern dynasty has the largest population among the Elven Trident. Doesn’t it strike you as odd that their general would abandon the capital and go into exile upon learning of the betrayal?’
‘There must have been circumstances. Now let’s hear them.’
-One more to catch.
Fernandez dragged the fallen vampire’s corpse deeper into the sewer. Vampire flesh was tough.
It would serve as a shield against sudden attacks—or at least as bait.
*
-Knock knock.
“Leia. Got a moment?”
“Ah, Your Highness. Yes. Come in.”
Leia wiped her blade with a dry cloth as she replied. The door opened, and an elven youth entered. His beauty was like carved marble, his flowing silver hair accentuating his androgynous charm.
Ainad Finn Gaimern. The only legitimate son of the Gaimern king. Delicate as pureblood elves were, yet honed from youth as a warrior—firm, sharp, and balanced.
Leia regarded him with a playful smile.
“Isn’t it a bit late to visit a lady’s chambers?”
“Haha, drop the formalities, little sister. I heard you let a human man into the audience chamber?”
Ainad flashed a bright smile and sat across from her. Leia sheathed her sword and poured him water.
“He was an inquisitor from the Holy Pantheon. The Franzrit envoy died while fleeing, and he claimed to carry their last words. He insisted on delivering the sealed letter to His Majesty himself, so I allowed it.”
“I’m not here to interrogate you, sister. Why treat your brother like a superior?”
Warmth flowed from Ainad’s eyes. His sister, Leia, was a half-elf. One ‘crafted’ by Gaimern himself. Created deliberately as an extension of the king’s reach across the continent.
After the War in the Heavens, the curse upon elves who abandoned their god: [Never again shall you tread the continent.] Elves who did withered, their power fading rapidly.
But half-elves born of unions with humans escaped the curse’s inheritance. Leia had been made to exploit that trait—her pride, and her curse.
Ainad always pitied her for it, even as he cherished her.
“I’d like more details. What did His Majesty command the human in private?”
“Find the heretics infiltrating the city. And according to the letter…”
Leia narrowed her eyes, lowering her voice.
“One of the five generals is a traitor, colluding with the Franzrit bloodline’s patriarch.”
“…What?”
Ainad’s eyes widened in shock. Leia nodded with a cold sneer.
“Indeed. Utter folly.”
“Blasphemy.”
Since the elven god vanished from the Holy Pantheon, the Elven King had held divine stature. Immortal leader since before the War in the Heavens. To betray him?
Leia wondered what madness drove them.
“There must be something they trust in. Even if four generals—all but you, brother—betrayed him. Who could stand against you and His Majesty in person?”
“…What do you think? What could they possibly rely on for such treason?”
“The letter mentions the Franzrit bloodline and human cultists, but they’re insufficient. They couldn’t challenge the Gaimern royal fleet at sea.”
Only three weapons in the world could damage the Elven Serpent King’s flagship: ancient dwarven fire, a dragon’s breath, a great demon’s curse.
All preventable in advance, none existing in the material world.
Thus, the Gaimern fleet was near-invincible. Vampires could never invade Infermur by sea. It had to be inland.
Inland matters were her duty. Leia gazed at the fading port city beyond the window.
“Worried?”
“It’d be a lie to say otherwise. His Majesty is wise, but the mainland’s treachery sometimes defies norms.”
“Your heart is kind. What of the human?”
Leia hesitated, then nodded cautiously.
“Clearly young. But that alone doesn’t explain it.”
“Strong?”
“An exceptional warrior, but not your equal, brother. Yet he wields magic, with unyielding will and deep cunning. His Majesty ordered special surveillance.”
“His Majesty did? Odd. But your thoughts?”
“…A fine man.”
“Haha! Youthful spirit!”
Ainad laughed and rose. He ruffled Leia’s hair and headed for the door.
“Leaving already?”
“His Majesty gave you a mission—how could I take more of your time? Sister, visit your brother now and then, share tales of the world. I’ll be waiting.”
“Understood. Rest well.”
“Take care.”
Ainad closed the door behind him. Leia sat a moment, sipped water, then buckled on her sword belt.
“Della, are you there?”
“Yes, milady.”
“What’s the human doing?”
“Hasn’t left his room.”
Frowning at the maid’s voice from outside, Leia stood.
“Prepare. I’ll check on him myself.”
*
-Weeep, weeep, weeep.
“Captain! Captain!!! Intruder in the western passage!”
“What?! He was in sector 13 earlier!! Already breached this far?”
“Q-Quickly, you must escape…”
In the vast sewer drainage facility, a pale-as-corpse man frantically stuffed books and tools into his bag, yelling.
“Hold him off! Buy time, no matter what!”
“Y-Yes!!”
A gaunt man bowed hastily and dashed into the pitch-dark passage. The alarm-rigged corridor blared with noise and flashed red.
The Franzrit family’s finest—necromancers from the Western Necromancy Academy’s scholars.
Losing them would tarnish not just the academy’s reputation, but international standing.
At the entrance to the deep underground, the man activated the seal. Even the patriarch would need half a day to break it.
Sorry to the necromancers working oblivious inside, but their task’s completion meant survival for all. He hoisted his gear toward the escape route.
-Flap flap.
Then, familiar presences—bats swarmed in. He scowled.
“Back already? What of him?”
-Flap… thump.
The bats formed a human shape and dropped to the floor. The man whirled toward the sound, startled.
“What the…?”
A man with a hole in his chest sprawled, bleeding profusely and twitching. Trembling, the necromancer stared into the direction his subordinate had come.
-Weeep, weeep, weeep.
Red warning lights flashed everywhere. When they dimmed, afterimages burned the retina.
In the blackout, even vampire night vision couldn’t pierce the depths.
“Es—cape…”
-Thud.
The convulsing subordinate went still forever. The necromancer froze, forgetting flight, staring into the passage.
Far off, a large shape hurtled from within.
-Splat.
“H-Hiiiik!!!”
A bisected vampire corpse landed at his feet. He reeled back in horror, back hitting the sealed door.
-Clatter.
His gear spilled across the floor. Far away, at the western passage entrance, a longsword gleamed red.
Soon, a lean youth approached slowly.
“Wh-Who are you? Why at-attack us…? Elves? The elves’ doing?”
“…”
“H-How much are they paying? We’ll give you the ship! We will!”
The stranger halted in shadow, watching. Lightly tunicked, but drenched in blood.
The necromancer would bet it was his men’s.
No need to bet.
A low, bestial growl echoed—like a beast to his ears.
“What are you plotting?”
“Uh… uh…”
Speak and die! By patriarch and elves alike! But silence? The man before him advanced no further, eyes glowing slowly. A predator’s gaze.
“Do you know Amelia von Franzrit?”
“A-Amelia, miss…? Wh-Why her…?”
“Stronger than that vampire?”
In the Franzrit bloodline, only the patriarch and his direct heirs outmatched Amelia. Was the family hound called that for nothing?
The twin siblings could execute traitors and Red Hungers alike.
No answer. The intruder stepped closer, drawing back his arm slowly.
“I’ll hold back. Don’t die.”
“Wha—yes?!”
-Thwish!
“Gaaaaaah!!!!!”
The longsword flashed, embedding in the necromancer’s gut. He collapsed to his knees, gasping.
How? Why? His mind screamed in chaos.
-Step, step.
He’s coming! Screaming, the necromancer crawled backward.
“Hiiiik!!! S-Stay back!!! Get away!!”
“What are you plotting, vampire?”
-Thud.
A firm foot pinned his chest. Agony surged from gut and chest. The intruder gripped the hilt in his abdomen and yanked it free.
“Grrraaah!!!”
“What’s inside here?”
He eyed the intricately sealed passage entrance.
“W-Will you spare me if I, I, I talk?”
“If I like it.”
“A… dr-dragon…”
“...?”
Huh?
The intruder froze. Dragon? The dragon I know? He looked flustered.
Whatever the vampire thought, Fernandez was genuinely stunned.
‘A dragon?’
-A dragon???
Why a dragon here…? Rare indeed—Feizashi himself was rattled.